Group apologies create shared ground for discussing negative history

Evidence

Although lower identified Dutch people may be especially sensitive to such information from the perspective of the disadvantaged group, our results indicate that the associated increase in feelings of collective guilt can motivate offering an apology towards them. As discussed by Barkan (2000), such a reparative intention by means of an apology may serve to communicate acknowledgment of the wrongdoing to the disadvantaged group and of their suffering, as well as one’s group’s regret about its behavior. Offering an apology may in this way create a shared basis to discuss the negative history and may, therefore, help to improve the relation between the groups. — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 1111

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Apologies feel more appropriate than money for repairing irreplaceable historical harms — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt: International…, 1105; Intergroup apologies can make relations worse without preexisting trust. — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt: International…, 1487; Active conflict makes apologies self-defeating for those who offer them. — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt: International…, 1547 (+1 more)